Shillong, August 22: Reports emerge of a drone strike carried out by Ukrainian authorities on a Russian military air base located near Moscow.
The Shaykovka air base in Russia’s Kaluga region was targeted, resulting in damage to “at least one aircraft,” according to Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, as cited by CNN. Yusov pointed out that the Russian regime often conceals the true extent of losses and damage.
As per IANS, the Shaykovka air base is home to Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bombers, which Russia has utilized for strikes in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian air force had previously reported the launch of Kh-22 air cruise missiles from this base towards Ukraine on August 15.
Yusov emphasized that this attack was conducted in close coordination with Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s Main Directorate of Intelligence and disclosed that similar operations are conducted from within Russian territory. Ukrainian sources indicate that a drone crashed at the Shaykovka air base during the operation, affecting an unused aircraft on the field. However, official confirmation is pending.
Following the incident, Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that Russian air defense intercepted two attack drones over the capital region, prompting temporary flight suspensions at major airports, including Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo.